Newcastle Supercars driver Aaren Russell has shared an insider’s view of what makes his VF Commodore tick.
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The Herald caught up with the 26-year-old Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport driver in the pits at the Bathurst 1000 last month (see video below) as he was preparing for the famous endurance race.
He will drive this weekend in the inaugural Newcastle 500, which comprises 250km races on Saturday and Sunday to end the Supercars season.
What is a Supercar?
Cars in the Supercars championship have little in common with their road-going cousins, especially after the series switched to so-called Next Generation vehicles in 2013.
These cars feature many common “control” components, including the chassis, tyres and brakes, but with a body shell which resembles the production version.
Want to know more? Read on ...
Vehicle: 4-door commonly available sedan. Ford Falcon FG/Holden Commodore VF/Nissan Altima.
Chassis and roll cage: Control design from Pace Innovations, chrome-moly construction.
Engine: Naturally aspirated, fuel-injected 5.0-Litre V8. All engines use blocks native to the manufacturer.
Power: About 645bhp (480kW) running a 10:1 compression ratio and 7500rpm rev limit.
Top speed: Approximately 300kmh.
0-100kmh: About 3.4 seconds.
Engine management: Supercars-mandated Control MoTeC integrated electronic system.
Transmission: Control Albins rear-mounted ST6 six-speed sequential transaxle with integrated spool differential.
Front suspension: Open to teams to create bespoke double-wishbone suspension geometry with adjustable damper and cockpit adjustable front anti-roll bar.
Rear suspension: Control independent rear suspension as defined by Supercars with adjustable damper and cockpit-adjustable rear anti-roll bar.
Front brakes: Control AP Racing six-piston caliper, 395mm ventilated disc brakes.
Rear brakes: Control AP Racing four-piston caliper 355mm ventilated disc brakes.
Axles: Control parts from Race Products.
Wheels: Control Rimstock 18" x 11" forged aluminium
Tyres: Control Dunlop Sport Maxx 290/675X18 Supercars tyre, soft (used in Newcastle) and super soft compounds; grooved Dunlop 18" Supercars wet tyre.
Fuel capacity: 112 litres.
Fuel: Shell E85 race blend (85% ethanol, 15% petrol).
Minimum vehicle and driver weight: 1410kg.
